An Office Story
by Seo-chan
Summary: EDITED With little to be done as a State Alchemist, Edward and his Friend Amara sit in their military department reading and filing paperwork. Work style changes after a new member joins the force and life isn't the same at work anymore.
1. Introduction

**(Sorry about that, i edited some mistakes i looked at, and hey, we're all human here...it's just embarressing i didn't catch **

**that though...)**

**This popped in my head today when I was at my mom's work.**

**So what the heck...**

**Why not?**

**DISCLAIMER!: I do not own ANYTHING! **

Introduction

Edward sat in the office's kitchen, minutes to pass before the work day began.

A rip of the string around the newspaper, and a few crinkles of the paper unfolding to expand on top of the table was heard in a split second.

'_There's anything but unique. Everything's the same everyday.' _Edward droned this phrase into every sentence and paragraph he read in the morning's paper. His morning cup of coffee didn't even that zing in his step anymore:

Everything was too perfect, and normal; nothing out of place.

"What in the world are you doing?"

Edward was caught sipping his cup of morning coffee when his co-worker, Amara, saw him in the staff kitchen.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Edward remarked. _'I only do this everyday.'_

"It looks like you hadn't met our new co-worker; Mustang just recruited as of yesterday, _he says._" Amara grabbed Edward's arm, forcing him to leave his morning paper and cup of de-caf.

"What's the rush?" Edward complained, looking back at his mug he so sadly left behind.

"You have to meet her now! She's an old friend of mine I went to high school with."

'_I could care less if you didn't go to high school with her or not, I just want my coffee, dammit.'_

Amara came to a sudden stop in the entrance of the hall, of other co-workers were blocking their way, and they couldn't see a thing in front of them.

All the male co-workers were gawking, their mouths hanging in all their infamous glory.

"Everyone, I like for you to meet our new staff member, please, make her feel welcome." Mustang announced in a dignified manner.

A young women, close her early 20's stood in front of the staff members. Edward finally realized why the men were gawking in all their infamous glory.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Kagome." She wore the military uniform like she was fit to become general, possibly Fuhrer even; she dressed perfectly. However, the men still found a way to look pass her outfit, and see she was fit, had all her curves in the right places and fine tanned legs.

"This is embarrassing." Edward mumbled to himself, eyeing his staff members' eyes grow ever so slightly. Really, he wondered how men can make an idiot out of themselves.

Still.

He looked at her again, and then saw why they couldn't take their eyes off of her (or at least one reason), pasted her exterior and looks: he saw personality and a sweet smile.

That's what attracted him: her wonderful smile.

"Edward."

That shook him out of thought, "What?"

"Take Kagome to her work station, she'll be next to yours from now 'till I say so." Mustang implied.

Edward walked through the crowd that blocked him to kagome, and along the way he could hear the mumbling complaints among the men that were his brothers in combat, along with a couple of glares towards Edward.

He didn't complain however.

Amara quickly followed suit right behind Edward, "Hey Kagome!"

"Amara!" both girls gave each other hugs, in which Edward _would have_ been confused hadn't Amara told him their story before.

Although Edward knew, the others didn't, and men had questioning and shocked looks written all over the face.

"Lieutenant Colonial Amano, how do you know Miss Higurashi?"

Amara look up towards the crowd, "Simply put, Second lieutenant Havoc, I've been a friend of her's since high school." she smiled

"Oh." the other men seem to acknowledged this as well, for them to be alarmed, it seem stupid, though they wish they knew Miss Kagome in some form or fashion before she came to their department and office.

"So where will I be working now?" Kagome asked, indirectly saying this to Edward and Amara.

"Follow Edward." Amara instructed, leading Kagome right behind Edward.

Pass the crowd, the come to a enormous room in divided desks of different stations: communication and call on duty.

"Both Amara and I are out on the call of duty, when needed as State Alchemist. Full name is Edward Elric but my Alias is 'Full Metal'. Amara's is..."

"White Riddle." Amara proclaimed.

"I don't get that name." Kagome replied, "I can see why they gave Ed his Alias name...but you, Amara?"

"Actually, I think it's a perfect name. We really don't know what my alchemy is produced by; I don't need any proof of equivalent exchange, however the rule applies itself spontaneously in the mist of battle. We can't find the reason why I can ignore the rules. So until then, my name suits me fine.

And since when did you know _Edward_ to be calling him _Ed_, Kagome? It hasn't even been an entire day!" Amara joked, acknowledging her comment before.

"Oh? I did? Well since it seems you know him so well, and I figured all three of us we'll be seeing each other more often, I might as well cut to the chase and shorten his name."

"At least it's better than _Eduardo._" Edward declared, facing Amara.

"What? I love your name in spanish! It's something different." Amara huffed. She turned back to Kagome, "So what Alias name did they give you, as far as I know you're enlisted as a Major."

"They gave me, 'Rosa der Geist'".

"An alias name in German?" Amara questioned, "I wish they could have put my name in a different language other than English, 'White Riddle' would sound so much better in french, or better yet Italian!"

"You're always obsessing over languages, I don't see why you couldn't work for something different other than the military, Amara." Edward nagged.

"We've been through this, and you know my answer will always be the same,_ Edward._" Amara noted in a serious tone of voice.

Edward dropped the subject, he knew Amara only used his full name when she really meant it, and this one, _she meant it._

"So it's Lieutenant Colonial Amano, and Colonial Elric, right?" Kagome guessed, observing their badges.

"Though the title Lieutenant Colonial is nice, I feel I hadn't contributed enough to be promoted, and Ed and I started at the same time too, however is more gifted than me, so no surprise to his promotion of two rankings to Colonial.

"Nothing has happen, much, nothing of military importance for state alchemists to investigate, so I feel I'm a bit rusty."

"I've been mostly as my desk for the past three months since my last big investigation, and but that case came up empty." Edward added.

"Let's just hope something good comes up again, one that can get out of this god forsaken department." Amara affirmed, as did Edward nodding his head.

"Full Metal. I told you to show Miss Higurashi her desk, I didn't say to start a conversation. Get back to work.

"'Rosa der Geist' your paper work is already on your desk, please start filing them," Mustang ordered.

"I feel like I'm at home already," Kagome blurted out loud, Edward and Amara hid a smile or two as they sat down for the remainder of the days work period.

**I must says it's more developed than when I first thought of it.**

**I can't say it'll be long story to begin with but we'll see.**

**Comments and remarks are always preferred.**

**Seo-Chan.**


	2. Daily Routine Destroyed

**MAN! Six months without writing...gawd, I blame AP testing, finals, and tennis...yep, the busy life of a junior... Sorry for not updating this story...eh, it was an idea at first...**

**But now, I feel like winging it, with a thickened plot somehow...**

**I honestly don't know how long with will last...**

**Anywho,**

**ON WIF DA STORY!**

**Daily Routine Destroyed**

_It was everywhere._

_Faint sharp intakes of breath made its owner sound like they were hyperventilating. Their body torn in shreds with uncontrollable shivering rattling down to their core. There was a very foul stench in the air, and the person held their hands in front of their horrified pupil-less eyes._

_Blood was drench on the owners clothes, in their hands; blotches of blood on their stricken pale face._

"_Shit." their voice shuddered._

_Their emotion finally overwhelming them, they collapse to their knees._

"_SHIT! I didn't have to kill them, I didn't...I didn't need to kill them...I didn't...I DIDN'T NEED TO KILL THEM!" they frantically scream their repetition into the dead stench filled air._

_A blast erupts the pleas of the fallen soldier, along with it follows more bombs, and explosions._

"_AMARA!" Someone yelled as they enter the building she's in, calling for the fallen soldier, "we need to get out of here, they're gonna blow up this part of town!"_

"_Edward..." her lip quivers, "I killed someone..."_

"_Amara, this isn't the time, we have to get out of here, _now._"_

_She wouldn't budge._

"_Come on, Amara, you've got to snap out of it, or we'll both die." he was behind her, about to _

_carry her out by force._

_However, another bomb explodes in front of the structure their in, the recherche of the blast ran through buildings beams and exterior; the building was giving way and about to collapse._

_Edward was in the worst places to be position underneath an unstable pillar._

'_Shit.'_

_As it fell, this snapped Amara back to reality, "Edward!"_

— —

"...Ow!" Amara, somehow, in her sleep, she was able to be at the end of the bed, and topple over the side and land on her face, dragging her blanket along with her, "shit, that hurt." she mumbled, rubbing her tender nose.

She looked up at the wall, right above the window, to examine the clock. She squinted her eyes against the small amount of sun light that lit the room. _'Heh. Perfect timing'_ she smirked, amused that the time was right on the dot: seven o' clock, time to get up and start another day at the office.

Slowly she stood up from where she was from the edge of the bed, and dragged her limped body to the bed on the other side of the room, "Ed...Ed," she shook him gently, "time to get up."

"Hmmm...five more minutes..."

Amara was irritated, she knew all to well he never wakes up when she polity tells him.

No.

It always has to be the hard way.

She grabbed a red spray bottle and squirted a spurt of water into Edward's face.

"Aw, jez, Amara!" Edward quickly rose at the slightly cold mist, "Why can't we avoid this in the morning?"

"If we did, we'd lose our jobs."

"Fine." Edward mumbled.

"Now get ready and we'll head to the mess hall, or I'll spray you again." she threatened, holding up the bottle.

"I'm up...I'm moving." Edward dragged his feet into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, softly mumbling to himself about hating Tuesday mornings, they're just as bad as Monday's.

"Pfh. Idiot." Amara took out her military uniform and quickly dressed herself to begin the day.

The routine would remain the same as always.

However, today would be Kagome's first official work day.

"This will be interesting," Amara mused, buttoning up her suit.

— —

"...IIIITTT'S SEVEN O' CLOCK EVERYBODY! Raise and shine on this beautiful Tuesday morning! The forecast will be nice and clear for the remainder of the day, however..."

_SLAM!_

A hand roughly smacked the snoozed button on top of the alarm clock, and slight moan escaped from the lips of its owner.

"Uh...why does the military have to start so early, stupid government system..." a female voice mumbled under her breath. Slowly she carried herself towards her apartment shower, "at least a cold shower will wake up me...or should, at least."

It hardly ever works, really, if not but a moment.

She came out, a bit refreshed and turned to her closet door that she hung herself her military uniform. Yesterday, she wasn't expected to come in, but she insisted, and to her observations, General Mustang seemed pleased about it

But today, it would be her first official day at the military department, yet she felt she was already at home.

"Here we go," she proclaimed, charged and ready for this new job of hers. Quickly, she changed into her uniform, grabbed the nauseates, and headed out the door, almost forgetting to lock her apartment. "I wouldn't want to see my apartment broken into." slightly laughing at her mistake.

She walked outside, and as the annoying radio talk show guy said, the skies were clear and beautiful.

"Looks like it will be a good day." she smiled.

..

"Dammit, Amara, why do we have to wake up so early..." Edward had been complaining since the moment he first woke up.

"Because, Ed," she began, still forcefully dragging him to the mess hall, "if we don't to the hall quick enough, all the good stuff they serve will be gone. Now, get a move on!" one finally tug, and went into a quick jog to the mess hall. Amara swung the doors open and relieved soldiers already eating breakfast.

Unfortunately, all seem to have the one item Amara desired.

"Mrs. Obura!" Amara shouted, a slight desperation clung to her call, as Edward barley clung to Amara's arm as he was dragged to the cafeteria line. "Mrs. Obura, _please_ tell me they're still here!"

One whom Amara called, was a hefty black woman in garments that worked in the cafeteria mess hall. Her name tag had her full name with in small letter underneath it say, head manager. "I'm sorry, honey, but for some reason the shipment wasn't enough today, the last person to grab one was over twenties minutes ago. I promise they're be a bigger shipment tomorrow."

"Oh...okay, then. Thanks Mrs. Obura..." Amara dragged herself to the closest table and sat in defeat.

Edward sat across from Amara, and said nothing. He really couldn't say anything because he knew _he _was the problem that they couldn't reach the mess hall early enough, it was her one thing for breakfast that she always wants to start the day.

"I'm sorry, Amara." Edward said.

Amara sighed, and replied, "well...we always got her in time before they ran out, tomorrow I guess." Amara slumped into her seat and sighed again

"Amara!" someone shouted. She perked up when she recognized the voice.

"Kagome?" Amara turn out in her seat and saw Kagome walking from the other side of the Mess Hall.

"Amara, I saw you and Ed walk through and you seemed in a hurry to the cafeteria line." _And I really couldn't get away from the guys talking to me either. _"Anyway, I got you this." Kagome took out the sweet from her coat, and gave it to Amara.

Amara gasped, and yelled, "oh, Kagome! You always knew I couldn't go throughout the day without a Danish!" She rose her seat and hugged Kagome gratefully. "You're my guardian angel, Kagome." Amara immediately sat back down and wolfed down her morning snack.

Edward laughed, amusingly, "Well, seems your happy now, Amara."

"I didn't forget about you, Ed," Kagome took out a green Granny Smith Apple out her coat as well, "something healthy." She carelessly tossed it towards Edward.

He caught it, "Uh..thanks, Kagome."

"Don't mention it. These military coats have at least some use to them. I'll see you guys in the office, I've got other things to attend to before the work day starts." she waved to them as she exited the Mess Hall.

_Hmm...very nice_. Edward gave his apple a quick rub on this coat before taking a sweet bite out of it.

"Lucky you."

Edward stopped and looked up, "Excuse me?"

Some soldiers were surrounding the table both Amara and Edward were sitting at, as Kagome just walked out of the room.

"It seems the Major takes a liking to you, I don't know what she sees in you though, a short stuff like you, _Colonial._"

"_Short stuff, Brigadier?_" Edward questioned, holding back steam in front of his superior.

"That's right, Elric," Brigadier Ryan Evans replied, and clamped a huge hand on top of Edward's head, as if he was a kid again, "_short stuff._"

The Brigadier only infuriated Edward as Amara could tell he was coming to his boiling point.

"Friend by associated, Sir," Amara concluded, she licked the last few crumbs off her mouth before speaking again, "Kagome knows me very well, sir. Since the Colonial is always seen around with me, whom is my friend as well, Kagome made sure to give both of us something to eat for breakfast."

The explanation seem to make sense to some soldiers, however, some just didn't want to hear that excuse, but wanted the same attention that Edward got, even if it was a simple chat. But the gesture of getting a "gift" from the beauty, it seem like an honor.

Amara stood up, "Now if you'll excuse us, Brigadier, we need to head to the office now." She reached for Edward's unoccupied hand that wasn't holding that apple and made way through the crowd toward the office.

As the two walked out, the soldiers began to murmur, "Weren't those two going out at one point?"

"They were?"

"Couldn't you tell?"

"Well...they didn't show any signs they were together."

"Shows how much you really know what's going on in the department."

..

"Hey Ed, I need to make copies of these documents for the General, where's—," She noticed Edward wasn't in his desk as she looked up from her papers.

"Oh, he went to go take his break, what do you need Kagome?" Amara asked.

"Right, you know where the copy machine is?"

"Yep," she assured, "go down these row of desks, when you get close to the hallway, take a left and it'll be in the printing room. It has a sign above the door." She pointed toward the room.

"And if you see Ed on your way, tell him to get his lazy ass back here, his break has long been over." Amara yelled.

"I'll be sure to tell, Amara." _I wonder if Amara and Ed ever went out before, I wouldn't see any surprise in that...actually that would be kinda cute. _Kagome smiled to herself she as casually walked to the printing room.

However, her cheerful mood seem to be over clouded by following eyes of all the privates and Sergeants acting their best not see her pass by.

_Idiots...you couldn't at least try to not make it look obvious, and the fact they think I'm oblivious to that. Ugh...boys._

She started to pick up the pace towards the room, and, at the corner of her eye as she turned, she saw a couple of guys simultaneously get out of their chairs. She couldn't tell what they were doing next because she was already in the printing room.

But she had a feeling what was going to happen.

Placing the documents in the tray to begin printing, she was embarrassed to say she couldn't figure out which format was that she needed to print the documents.

_Damn, I don't remember these configurations being this hard!_

"Need some help?" A skinny young man with thick black glass came in and began entering the code for processing the documents. A few adjustments, and in a few second the printer began at a fast pace.

"Um...thank you very much."Kagome replied, "technology isn't my strong suit."

"I can help you anytime, I'm Sergeant Kain Fuery , Ma'am, I'm help with communications and wiring taps for the military."

The printer reached the last paper to be printed and sounds three small beep acknowledging it was complete.

_Nice timing._

"Well, thank you again Sergeant Fury, I just need to take these to the General now," she looked at the records herself, "something about a criminal investigation."

"That'll be in my department." Another man approached her, this time, he was tall man, though he looked stiff and uptight, he had a nice calm voice, "Warrant officer Vato Falman, Ma'am, I'll take these to General Mustang."

Falman swiftly took the copied documents from Kagome's and quickly left the room. It was a nice gesture, but she wasn't expecting that.

On top of which Fuery was still standing next to her.

However, it wouldn't last long when two more soldiers spoke up simultaneously, "Hello Major Higurashi." Both stood in the military salute, and Kagome followed suit.

_This is all too overwhelmed_ she exasperated.

"Would you like to play a game of chess?" one spoke up, revealing the game board from behind his back, "The name's Heymans Breda, Ma'am."

The soldier next to Breda, she remembered at least, Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc from yesterday, only because he someone you'd recognize with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, "Would you like a tour of our department?"

"Uh..."_gotta think, Kagome...THINK. There must be some way out of this._

"Actually Amara, yes, Amara already took me on a small tour. I pretty much know just about everything that I _need_ to know in this department." she convinced them more with her smile.

"Well then, how about we have some lunch together sometime?" Havoc insisted, putting forth a small crack of a smile he could muster with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"I..."

"Second Lieutenant." A voice began, "Lieutenant Colonial Amano needs Major Higurashi at the moment, please excuse her."

Havoc whirled around, and the voice came from Edward, "Uh, Yes, Sir!" he saluted, "sorry for the wait, Major." bowing towards Kagome.

"Non-taken, Second Lieutenant, continue with your work." Kagome walked out of the room along with Edward.

"Aren't you sight for sore eyes," she whispered, "Thank you, Ed. So what did Amara needed me for?"

"Nothing. That was just an excuse to get you outta there. I was passing by and it seem you having some trouble with the General's subordinates."

"How right you are." Kagome grumbled.

They reached their desk, but not without looks from the soldiers; how Edward was having a conversation with Kagome, it seem it made their blood a boilin'.

"There you are!" Amara proclaimed, "you're one lazy soldier, just look how much paperwork piled up from your break!"

Edward smirked, "Back to work."

Kagome smiled at her friend nagging Edward with his work; she really did feel like she was at home again..

..

Close to the office being shut down for the day, Amara said that was leaving earlier than usual because she already finished her work.

Kagome and Edward stayed behind, on a count of Ed being a lazy bum, and Kagome being her first day and still talking to advisors.

When Amara got outside, it was raining.

"Huh," she let her hand escape from protection of the building's entrance to feel the raindrops, "so this was the small percentage of rain we were getting." _Me and my poor immune system, I can't walk in this._

She stood in front of the building, debating on either sprinting through the rain and risk catching a cold, or waiting for Edward.

She really didn't like either one, plus Edward was gonna take forever to finish his paperwork.

_Damn._

She was going to make a run for it, when an umbrella cover her head, and she looked at the owner.

"Jean?"

"Need some help, Ma'am? I'll walk you home." he offered.

"Oh, uh...Thank you...um Second Lieutenant." she wasn't expecting Havoc to be the helpful person at all.

"So, Lieutenant Colonial, how do you know The Major again?" Havoc curiously asked.

_Oh, so that's it._ She thought, even though she knew there was a motive behind the gesture, she seem a bit disappointed. "Well Havoc, I've known her since we started high school. Whenever she got sick, I'd visit her and bring her homework she missed. I'd stay at her house until she understood the lesson that was taught that day. And she would always returned the favor. She's just one of those friends you'll never forget.

A true friend..." she concluded, reminiscing about the good ol' days, those carefree days.

"You must be a good friend as well, to have helped her like that. You've helped me like that too plenty of time. Sometimes whenever the guys would make fun of me, and you would inform me how this and that was done...those were the times I would swallow my pride...and..." Havoc came to stop and turn towards Amara.

Amara almost walked out from the under the umbrella, so she looked up and was about to ask why he stopped moving until she saw the intent look in his eyes.

_Jean?_

"...And I really appreciate those times you helped me." he smiled.

He seem different through Amara's eyes. Somehow, he was different. His eyes always had a relaxed expression, and it was always that same emotion in his eyes. He doesn't really actually focus at work, but he's a sharp shooter, and _knows_ when to focus.

But this time, Amara was certain now, it was different. With her height difference with Jean, she looked up, and she gazed into those blue intense eyes, yet they had a calm cering look as well.

"This is your stop, Lieutenant Colonial." He said.

"Thank you very much, Havoc." she replied, stepping from under the umbrella to the protection of the building.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He waved good bye behind his back as he walked in the rain toward his apartment.

She stared at his figure as he disappear in the pouring rain.

"Jean... huh. Hmph" she breathed as she chuckled to herself. She entered her apartment complex, ready to prepare dinner.

.

"Oh." Kagome claimed, "they said it was going to be nice today...unless..." _The forecast will be nice and clear for the remainder of the day, however..._

_He must have meant rain in the evening._

"Crud, and I didn't bring my umbrella!" she shouted.

"You're just as bad as Amara, Kagome."

"And what does that mean, Ed?" Kagome mused, however still a bit offended.

"I mean, you come unprepared for the unexpected," he stated as he pulled out the umbrella, "I'll walk you home."

"Heh, now I owe you two." she smiled.

They both got under the umbrella and headed down the street towards her apartment.

Even though the end to her exciting first day at the office was bit bazaar, it was fun none-the-less, the precipitation at that moment couldn't rain on her parade.

..

**HECK YES. Nine pages, and that was without double spacing the paragraphs (better to see, am I wrong?)**

**It's kind of hard to remember they're rankings without going back looking for them, and Mustang is now a General, so why would Ed still ranked as a Major, eh? I'll like to think of it as the future! **

**So I decided...yep, this'll be short and sweet, however, my short and sweet could be completely different.**

**We'll just wait and see.**

**Reviews are appreciated.**

**Seo-chan.**


	3. Reminiscing

1

**I Don't care if no one is reading this story at the moment, I've got to jot this down (or in this case, TYPE IT!)**

**So now, it doesn't really matter anymore, more importantly now is the story is completed **

**(and I'd like to finish it by the end of summer).**

**Oh, and this might seem a little short, so I apologize if it does seem short to you.**

**DISCLAIMER:...Do I really have to say it? **

**ON WIF DA STORY!**

Ch.3: Reminiscing:

Edward entered the apartment, gently shaking the remaining rain drops that were on his umbrella.

"Amara, I'm home." he locked the door behind, and came into the small open living area that was claimed "home". The kitchen was opened up the living room, and that's how he liked it, one living space. The bedroom and bathroom off to the right side of the living room.

A note caught Edward's eye on the kitchen counter. It read:

_Ed,_

_Dinner is in the fridge, just heat it up._

_And by the time you've arrived home, I'll be asleep,_

so don't disturb me.

_Amara._

"Jeez, when she tries to sound polite, she's really rude." Edward grumbled. He open the fridge to see a sticky note attached to his bowl of supper: it being homemade fried rice, "Is she trying to get me fat?

_However, the only reason we can eat this stuff because we work out so much, that, and a high metabolism..._

It was close to being ten o' clock in the evening. Edward didn't realize it was that late. It didn't take him that long to walk Kagome home, she actually lived pretty close to headquarters.

He heated up the bowl, turn on their small television set in the living on to the local news at 10, and sat on the small love seat sofa.

_Quick meal, short 5 minute shower, and I'm off to bed._

_.._

"_Edward!" Amara shouted. The pillar toppled over Edward, he pushed Amara away in pure reaction._

_The pillar landed squarely on his back. His reaction horrified Amara: he didn't yell when the impact of the pillar collapsed on him. His eyes widen though, and he coughed up some blood._

_The impact made his organs start to internally bleed._

_She crawled towards his wounded body. Her vision was blurry by the time she reached him; she was crying, and trying desperately to hold it in. "Ed...Edward..."_

_He reached out for her hand, and held it close to face. He gently skimmed her hand with his lips, her tainted blood shaken hand she looked at disgustingly._

_But Edward didn't mind at all, "Amara..." he choked, "please, get out of here..." His hand fell limp as he still held onto Amara's hand._

"_Ed..." she shook his hand that held hers, "Ed...!...EDWARD!" The lump in her throat disappeared and she could no longer in her tears. She squeezed his hand and it close to her chest. "Edward, _please_ don't go. You can't leave me! I...!"_

I love you.

_A light suddenly flickered in her hands and engulfed both her and Edward. It posed as a barrier as the warning Edward gave about the attack came; a shower of bombs exploded on top of the building, and it collapsed completely. _

_The light flickered again, and unexpectedly transported Amara and Edward back to the military post outside of the city. It started to fade and the soldiers wondered what strange light it was. Then all went agas when they saw Amara and Edward covered in blood stained uniforms when the light disappeared._

"_Get the medics, now!" one soldier cried. The Medical core came in rushing toward the two._

"_Don't worry about me, help the Lieutenant Colonial!" Amara insisted. They put Edward in a stretcher and maneuvered him to the medical tent._

_Amara wasn't hurt, she only had blood stains on her uniform and hands. _That's right, I wasn't the one who got injured, I didn't really contributed...oh Ed._ She went towards the medical tent when she overhead a soldier call out the names of dead soldiers. "Major Alphonse Elric died in the line of fire while helping our soldiers escape."_

_Amara gasped, "No it can't be. Alphonse?" she stood in disbelief, then look at the medical tent, "Oh Edward...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."_

_.._

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Edward could hear faint pleas coming from the bedroom.

_Amara?_ He stood up, and quickly looked in the bedroom. He saw Amara face, it was stained with tears on her cheeks, and a painful look on her face. He went to her bedside and lightly shook her shoulders, "Amara, wake up, wake up. It's just a dream." he whispered softly.

Amara's eye opened wide, and saw Edward holding her. The realization of seeing him only made her break down even more, too much was going on in her mind, and Edward didn't know what to think.

Edward lifted her up and embraced her fragile shaken body, "Amara, you're fine now, nothing bad is going to happen to you." he gently started rocking her back and forth, like how he remembered his mom doing it to calm down him and Alphonse.

_Alphonse..._

Amara looked up to Edward; now calm a bit, but her face was still etched with a guilty face, "I'm sorry, Ed, I wasn't there when you need help the most..." she clenched his shirt desperately.

_What is she sorry about?_ "Amara, you've always been there for me."

"No, Ed. I wasn't there when your mom died, when the civil war...took Alphonse," tears started to well up in her eyes again, "...and when you try to bring Alphonse back; I should've been there, by your side, but.."

Edward picked up so both could lean back on the wall, while he did this, he hushed Amara putting his index finger on her lips, "Amara, it wasn't your fault. Neither of Mom's or Alphonse's death your fault."

She swiped his hand away from her mouth, and grabbed onto his right hand, his right mechanical hand, "But Edward had I tried to persuade you to stop your attempt at bring Al back using human transmutation...you'd still have your arm and leg," she placed her forehand on Edward's cool metal hand. She grieved those days at the hospital when she heard the cries of Edward's voice, his pain, and suffering.

_That's why I moved in with Ed, so I could stay by his side, so he wouldn't be lonely, so I could say I was there for him. _"I'm sorry..." she whispered in a mumbled voice, still holding onto his hand.

"Amara." Edward lifted his right hand, lifting Amara's chin so he could see her face. He moved closer and placed a small kiss on Amara's forehand, "I wouldn't put the blame on you for my stupid mistakes. I've learn to accept things as they are; whether they're good or bad, and I've learned to trust other people." he smiled, pulling her into a hug again, "And I couldn't ask for a better roommate."

Amara felt all sorts of burdens that clamped tight to her guilty mind, were uplifted, and relief washed through her entire body, she let herself cry in tears of joy, and sighed in relief.

It took a lot out of her that Edward didn't dare move Amara, she looked peaceful in her sleep, something that both rarely had. The Civil War and military lives change their perspectives about life, and they certainly wouldn't be able to go back to the simplicity of life again.

But for now, Edward held the content feeling of peace in his mind as he slowly drifted to sleep.

**Darn it did come out short... oh well, I wasn't going to add on more, that we'll save for chapter 4.**

**So there you have, they're past as far as the civil war, and a bit of their love life, as how I see it. :P**

**More along the way, whether you like it or not! **

**Seo-chan**


	4. Apologetic

**I've risen from the dead!! :O**

**Indeed it has been FOREVER; have a new computer…meaning all of my other files to the stories are gone…and lost forever! D:**

**Have no fear…for I saw sooo many grammar errors I'll just retype previous chapters (which isn't much….)**

**And SO, on wif da story!!!**

Ch.4: Apologetic 

Amara stirred in from her sleep when sunlight peeked through the window of the room.

"what time is it…" she looked at her clock, the red analog numbers said it 30 minutes past seven.

_What?_

Soon her brain function in a matter of second and realized the time.

"WHAT THE HECK? HEY ED!" She looked towards Edward's bed…and it was….clean? It had a note on top as well:

_I didn't finish my paperwork last night so I went to the office early. Ed._

"You didn't even wake up, Ed, you idiot!" She grabbed her uniform, stripped out of her under shirt and shorts, and buttoned up before dashing into the kitchen and grabbing the keys from the counter.

"Gawd I hope I make in time!"

…

"I think this is where the short cut was to the office." Kagome mumbled to herself waking. She remembered Edward telling her about a few short cuts around the area just in case she was late for work.

She wasn't late, yet she wanted to explore the neighborhood to get use it it.

To her luck, it was a dead end.

"Oh…frack," she corrected herself fumbling over the F word, "This wasn't the alley then." She turned around and spotted a few guys hovering over the entrance she came through.

"Pardon me, but I need to get through." she stated.

"You must not be around here," one man begin, a slick grin on his face, "how about we show you around, _ma'am._" the guy advanced toward Kagome, grabbing her right elbow.

Kagome rotated her right arm underneath the man's grip on her. The man was surprised at her fast reflexes, and his grip on her arm was released.

"I don't have time for this little _tour_, so do me a favor and step aside if you don't mind." She grabbed the man's wrist in her grip to make a statement to the rest of the thugs.

"Tst, tst. Little lady, you don't make the demands here." one man flicked his finger, and the rest of the group surrounded Kagome. She felt a bit overwhelmed. Her tension on the guy she had her grip loosen; he broke free and quickly upper cut her in the lower stomach.

"PAH!" Kagome coughed up some blood, and hunched over.

_How could I let my guard down, this wasn't how I was trained. Dammit._

The man who controlled the group, picked her up by the collar. "We'll make give you a special welcoming gift, _ma'am._"

Kagome spit, mixed with a little bit of her blood, landed on his squarely on his face, "Bastard."

"You whore!" He punch her in the face, letting go his grip. The other guys held her down on the ground, "you'll regret pissing me off and my gang."

The guys agreed laughing out loud, and it gave Kagome eerie chills down her spine.

"Hey assholes!" a voice hollered. Quick pace footsteps could be heard in the background, and then a sudden thud on the ground with a loud crash of a trash can. "Get your filthy hands off of her!" A loud clap ignited, and white light filled the alley way.

"What the hell is this?!" the leader yelled.

"It be the White Riddle's blinding light, idiot!" Amara flew at the leader and high kicked him in the face, "never screw around with alchemist, you hear!"

Amara grabbed Kagome and surrounded them both in white light, "we're leaving this joint." The alley way was engulfed in blinding light again. The men were dumbfounded when they didn't see Kagome nor Amara in the spot they were before.

"What the hell…"

…

_Land here. _ The white light descended upon an open court surrounded by a building. "Where else would we be safe," Amara remarked, releasing the barrier for the light.

Kagome looked at the surroundings, "it's Headquarters!" she exclaimed. The court had cobble stones on the path ways and tall oak trees. She turned toward Amara, "Is that what your alchemy can do, transportation?"

"And plenty of other uses as well, other than our grand escape." Amara smiled, but soon started having fits of coughing. She sat down on the ground next to Kagome, "we need to fix your wounds. That jerk wasn't being nice."

"Sounds like you're the one needing help."

"Not a problem. Watch this." Amara placed both her hands onto Kagome's forearms where the men were roughing her up when pinned to the ground earlier. Amara's hand emitted a small glow of white light and covered over Kagome's wounds, this included her face where she was slugged.

As Amara continued Kagome's treatment, some soldiers spotted the white light through some windows facing the court yard.

"Isn't that Lieutenant Colonial Amano and Major Higurashi?" Officer Breda pondered.

Second Lieutenant Havoc, "It's looks like their in the court yard." Havoc then took a second look even close, "it looks like Amara, I mean Lieutenant Colonial Amano is using her…alchemy?"

Edward was the in the same room at the time. He gasped in fear, "What? Do you know how long she has used it?"

"Not sure, Colonial. Why?" Havoc asked. He looked outside and saw Amara's body hunched over; she was hacking up blood each time her body coughed.

"Dammit, she's used her alchemy too much. Amara!" Edward flung the window open and ran towards Amara and Kagome.

Kagome noticed Edward running towards them. "Ed! Something happened with Amara, she was attempting to heal my wounds but then she started coughing!" Kagome was tired, yet she held onto to Amara when she collapsed into Kagome's arms. "I got caught in an alley way and encountered a group of men…and then Amara came in…and…saved me…"

Kagome's body fell limp to the ground still holding onto Amara.

Edward yelled, "Kagome? Hang in there!"

…

"…Hey, she's coming to." A voice said.

_What? _Kagome eye's slowly fluttered opened, she noticed officers were crowded in a room with her. She looked around and saw white sheet covering her up, she noticed her body was propped up right in a hospital bed…and she noticed all the flowers in the soldiers' hands.

"Welcome back, Major Higurashi." The soldiers' greeted, all happy to see her awake.

Sergeant Breda came up to her bedside, and placed his flowers in a vase on her table beside her, "Are you feeling better, Ma'am?"

Kagome smiled, "yes, indeed, I feel fine now."

"Don't worry, we'll find those men who attacked you, and bring them to justice!" all soldier agreed in unison.

"I appreciate it, but it's fine, I was just trying to find a short cut to work, that's all." Kagome replied, "but how's Amara doing, is she any better?"

"Well, Major, I have yet to see the Lieutenant Colonial." Breda answered, all soldiers muttered all agreeing they have yet to see Amara too.

"Alright gentlemen, please let the Major have her time of peace." General Mustang proclaimed.

"Yes, sir," all soldiers' exclaimed, they started filing out room one by one.

"The Lieutenant Colonial is recovering now in the other room." Mustang said once everyone had left.

"Good, yet I'm still worried about her health, and why she was coughing up blood. Do you have a report of her health recorded in HQ, General? Because I feel it needs to be examined or else…"

Kagome was stopped mid-sentence; she was surprised to have the Mustang hold her Left hand, and place his other hand on top of the one he grabbed, "Don't worry about it. You just worry about your health, and get some rest." He released his grip on her hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a radiant red rose, and placed it next to the vase of flowers, "Will you do that for me, Major?"

Kagome was confused with Mustang's gesture, yet she still confirmed and answered, "Understood, sir." and smiled back to her superior.

Mustang walked towards the door, one hand stuffed in his pocket of his military suit. Before he left the room, he turned around and replied, "Glad to hear it.

…

"Welcome back, Major Hugurashi." This muffled exclamation in the room next door stirred Amara from her sleep.

"Oh gawd," Amara groaned, clutching her abdomen.

"So you're up now." Amara saw next to the door, General Mustang leaning against the wall.

"General." Amara replied, attempting to salute.

"Save your strength," Mustang ordered, "This time wasn't good. It seems your body can't handle your unusual alchemy, _Amara._"

Amara eyes slightly opened when Mustang used her name than her status rank, then smirked, "This time _must_ have been serious, _Roy._"

Mustang clucked, "Heh. Well this time you coughed up more this time when Ed confirmed it. Since your first attempted a few years back, your body has slowly been deteriorating from the use of your white alchemy. Even though you by pass the law of equivalent exchange, it seems your body is taking the consequences of breaking the rule."

Amara noted the serious tone and look in Roy's eyes, "So then how long do you think I'll be able to use this alchemy of mine?"

Mustang stood in front of her bed, quiet, and didn't answer. Amara slammed her back into her hospital bed, head bowed down. Mustang sighed, then spoke, "If you were to use your white alchemy again, you could potentially die from the use of it _if _you kept using it for a long period of time. The maximum time you can use your alchemy without injuring your body: 15 minutes, beyond 20 minutes, the alchemy will effect your body worse than what it did today."

Amara slumped into her bed and rolled on her side, facing away from Mustang, "Thanks General, I'll keep that in mind." she mumbled.

Thick boots walked across the floor away from Amara's bed, "Ed left to get food, so he'll back in a few." The foot steps slowly faded and a faint "…let the Major get her time of peace…" could be heard from next door.

_Kagome…sometimes I think you have a better time with men than I do_ Amara bitterly remarked. She covered herself when she heard the soldier filing out of the room next door and heard them murdering to themselves. _They must be talking about me…jerks._

She let out a sigh, loud enough that she couldn't hear foot steps enter her room.

"Lieutenant Colonial?" a voice said. Amara didn't bother moving, she didn't want to.

"Lieutenant Colonial Amano?"

She was agitated now, the person had yet to leave her be.

"Amara---"

"Will you leave me alone?" she yelled back, whipping her sheets off her body, she craned her head out to yell at the person. But then she hit the person's forehead with her forehand; she grazed the person's lips, and felt something attached to their lip. "Agh, dammit. That really hurts." she groaned holding the pain emanating from her cranium. She could also feel her eyes swelling up with tears. "Just leave me alone…Havoc?"

Havoc was holding on to his bump on his forehand too. Amara noticed the flowers in his hand, yellow flowers. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Ma'am but I wanted to stop by and give you some flowers. Breda, Falman, Fury, and I pitched in and bought flowers for you."

"I don't believe you." Amara bluntly said.

"Well then, how would I know what your favorite color is, and your favorite flower is a tulip." Havoc stated.

Amara was stumped. "Fine I do believe you now. So why then?"

"Why what?"

"Why show some sincerity towards me and buy flowers?"

Havoc arranged the flowers in the vase next to Amara's bed and leaned onto her bed's railing. He put his forehand next to hers and tapped it, "you're very stubborn, you know that? I thought it would be nice to get these for a friend." He stood back up and headed towards the door, "I'll be seeing you later." he waved good-bye.

Amara felt confused, she was mad that Havoc added another injury to her list, but her chest felt contracted, and her stomach went in knots, "It still must be from my injury from today." she rolled back into her original position, trying to get some sleep. She cheeks felt a little flushed. "I must be getting a fever."

…

A knock on the door broke Kagome's trance from looking out the window, "Come in," she said.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked, coming into the room. He held in his a small bouquet of flowers.

"I'm feeling better than before." Kagome reassured, "but how's Amara doing? The General didn't tell how she was doing."

Edward sighed, and grabbed a seat and sat beside Kagome, "She's doing fine, as of yet. But don't tell her I told you this; her health is weakening. The doctors say if she were to use her white alchemy again for a long period of time, the effects of the rule free alchemy will deteriorate her body."

Kagome cringed, "I should've used my alchemy. Why didn't use my alchemy? I don't know, maybe I was afraid." Kagome clenched her fist, and swore, "As long as I'm with her and something like that happens like that, I won't hesitate to use my alchemy."

Edward chuckled, "It seems Amara has rubbed off onto you."

"You could say that."

Edward rose from his chair and stated, "The doctor said you two can be released today, Amara just needs to be accompanied going home. However, I can't take her home because I have yet to finish my paperwork. So the General has someone else accompanying her.

Get well soon, Kagome." He smiled. He walked towards the door.

Kagome smiled back and replied, "Hey Ed! Thanks for the flowers."

He laughed, "Your welcome."

…

"You're taking me home? How very reassuring."

It was late afternoon when Amara was able to be released, with the help of Havoc.

"It wasn't my idea, Ed couldn't take you home because he still needs to get some paperwork finished. So here I am, at least you don't live that far away."

"What about Kagome," Amara asked.

"I can't say for sure whose taking her home. Lucky them whoever takes her." Havoc replied.

Amara mumbled under her breath, "Yeah, lucky them…"

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing, second Lieutenant." Amara put a little more pace into her walk, she wanted to get home as soon as possibly, and less time with Jean talking about women, or subjects that were none of her concern.

"Come on, Lieutenant Colonial, relax, nothing bad is going to happen---" Jean was punched in the stomach from the side. The punch came from the alley way.

"Havoc? What happened?" Amara turned around and saw men fight Jean into the dark alley.

_Dammit, it can't be…_Amara ran around the corner, and saw Jean surrounded by the men. "You guys again?" she yelled, she cleared a path through the men, knocking them down with punches to the stomachs. She reached the middle where Jean was standing, "Let's go now."

"You won't escape this time." The leader clicked something in his hand, and the machine pointed toward Amara. He release his bullet and gun recoiled in his hand.

Amara gasped, she was pushed just in time away from the bullet.

"AH!"

Amara saw Jean's body fall limp to the ground.

"Second Lieutenant? Jean?" she cried, he held onto his left arm that took the bullet, blood started flowing and stained his military uniform.

Amara bared her teeth and the man, and stepped in front of Jean. "You bastard, you'll pay for injuring my subordinate, _dearly._" Amara clapped her hands on the ground, and formed two twin swords.

_"The maximum time you can use your alchemy without injuring your body: 15 minutes, beyond 20 minutes, the alchemy will effect your body worse than what it did today."_

_I need to finish him in less than 15 minutes._ "Hah!" Amara rampaged toward the man, and slashed at his arms.

"Why you little bitch." He pointed towards her chest and fired, he release another three rounds from his gun, one after another in different spots of Amara's body.

_Shit. _Amara crossed her twins swords to block the first one that aimed for her chest. The last three aimed for her shoulders, she swung her twin swords like a fan and sent the bullets off flying in different directions.

"You should learn to stand still and fight!" He blasted another bullet towards her head when her twin swords were down by her side. He underestimated her quick reactions and dodged the bullet. He attempted to fire more rounds of bullets, but that was it, his six rounds of bullets were all finished.

Amara pinned him to the wall with her twin swords using a small portion of her alchemy to reinforce he wouldn't be moving any time soon. She approached him with a sinister glare on her face, "I don't believe in killing, so I'm letting you go with your life intact. Leave this town, I never want to you to terrorize another person again. If you do, so help you, I _will _find you and _kill_ you."

"Ha…haha, HAHAHA! You're good, little lady, to think, I would actually take orders from you? _Far from it._" He was rummaging through his pocket as he declared his insubordination. Once he finished, he grabbed what was inside his pocket, and reached out towards Amara. This action caused her to lose her concentration on her twin swords that pinned him to the wall. The alchemy was released and the man was free from her grip. He leaned his body into the attack, and stabbed Amara in the abdomen. He had the knife stay in there for a quick couple of seconds and slowly gut wrenchingly, took it out with blood flowing.

Amara couldn't yell, she was too shocked to believe what happened. But she felt it when the blade her body, and quickly covered her wound. She couldn't stand, and fell onto one knee, still griping her side. "You bastard."

"You've been calling that so many times little lady, but I'll show you what a real bastard is."

_No way in hell it'll end up like this, _Amara thought. She emitted from her body the last ounce of white alchemy she had left.

"You won't lay a hand on her." A trigger was pulled and bullet landed square in the middle of his forehead. His body fell limped on the ground.

Amara turned to where the bullet came from, "Havoc!" She limply ran towards him, he leaned towards the wall. She looked at his left arm that was hit by the bullet earlier, "you still haven't taken the bullet out of your arm?"

Jean flinched, "It's too deep, so I couldn't take it out."

"Let me do it." she placed both her hand around the bullet wound. White light engulfed Jean's arm and her hands.

But he wouldn't let her to do that, Jean grabbed both her hands with his right, "I can't allow you do that Lieutenant Colonial."

Amara protested, "You couldn't take out the bullet yourself! If you leave it in there for much longer, it'll leave the wound infected. Please let me take it out." Amara used a bit more of her alchemy to gently pull the bullet out of Jean's arm.

Jean yelled in a final attempt to make her stop, "You'll kill yourself if you continue to use your alchemy! Amara!"

"Let me feel useful, Jean!" As she pleaded, Amara extracted the bullet from his arm. "We have to go now, we don't know if these goons will fight when… they're conscious…again." The blood loss finally caught up to caught up to her body. Her body fell limp into Jean's left arm.

"Ma'am? Lieutenant Colonial? C'mon, ma'am, this isn't funny. Amara? Amara!"

…

"Sorry, Colonial. We ran into a couple of men on the way."

--- "Amara's alright, isn't she?"

"She's safe for the time being. We're at my place."

--- "I'll drop off the Major, then I'll head for your place."

"Alright, sir, see you then." He hung up the phone, and sighed. "What a long day."

"Ugh…" Amara moaned, stirring from her sleep. Jean walked towards the couch which she laid upon.

"Finally waking up, I see." He smiled.

Amara was fully awake and noticed her surroundings. _This isn't my apartment._ She picked up her head, and felt the sheets covering her slip off. She saw the bandages the wrapped around her waist, and then her chest. A small blush crept on her face, along with a modified look on her face.

Jean noticed this and said, "Now look Lieutenant Colonial, before you say anything…I can explain."

"You wrapped up me my wounds?" she yelled, "while I was asleep and out of it??" She grabbed the pillow that was used for her head, and threw it at Jean. "You PERV!"

He caught the pillow, "Really, Ma'am, I can explain." Amara didn't notice Jean had his uniform off, and his arm was already attended to, wrapped in bandages as well. "There's a nurse that lives in my apartment complex, so I called her and she fixed both of us up."

Amara relaxed, releasing the tension in her muscles. She grabbed the sheet and covered herself again, she felt her pain the abdomen, "Ow, maybe I shouldn't have moved to so quickly." she grunted in pain, holding her side.

"Take this, Ma'am, the nurse left it with me. It'll relax your pain, but you might get sleepy again."

"I don't mind." Amara replied, she took the small cup of water and pill from Jean. She swallowed the pill, and then drank the water to reassure the pill would indeed, run down her throat. "Much better." she leaned on the couch again, readjusting her comfort.

Jean sat beside Amara on the couch, "Sorry, "Ma'am, I couldn't protect you from those men."

"But you did, Havoc."

"Maybe I did, but it was after you were injured, Ma'am, when that man gave you a nasty foul blow to her stomach. I couldn't take it anymore. It took all I had to pull that trigger, I don't know if he's alive or not. I don't regret though because I saved you."

So I'm sorry, Ma' ---".

"Call me, Amara, Second Lieutenant, it's after hours, and I'm not in the mood to be uniformed." She closed her eyes, "and answered your statement, I appreciate greatly what you did for me." she smiled, "So thanks again, Havoc ."

"That's Jean to you, _Amara._" he replied.

she softly laughed, "Okay then. Thank you, Jean…" she let her hand lean onto Jean's shoulder.

Jean felt his heart jump he realized the sudden contact with Amara, "Ma'am…I mean, Amara? We've been a good friend, great friends, I think. I was wondering…would you…?" He heard her steady breathing, then look at her face. "She left asleep?" he asked out loud. "I knew that stuff was good, but I didn't think it would work…that fast."

He noticed Amara's arm wrap around her stomach and her hand cover her wound where she was stabbed. He felt the one to be blamed for that, he wasn't there a moment earlier to shoot that guy. He softly placed his her forehead, and gently rubbed across it, "I'm sorry I wasn't there earlier."

The doorbell rang, following small knocks on the door. "It's open." Jean said, he shifted his should and put his arm behind her back, and slowly began to get off the couch. "better yet…" he sat down again, and this time picked her bridal style. He carried her towards Ed, whom gave him a questionable look. "What?" he whispered, "do you want to see the wrath of the Lieutenant colonial if she doesn't get enough rest?" he laughed.

Edward smiled, "You have a point there, second lieutenant. Thanks again." He grabbed Amara from Jean's gripped and slowly walked down the hallway.

Jean closed the door, and sighed, "I'm in way over my head here…" he scratched his head, and lit another match. He closed his lighter and exhaled smoke from his mouth. "I really gotta stop smoking." he turned off his lights and headed for bed.

**FINITO with this chapter.**

**A fitting long chapter for my long disappearance…somewhat…**

**Again, I don't care if no one really read this chapter…or reviews…they're nice, don't get me wrong, but this story has yet to see any.**

**But for those who read but don't feedback, thanks for reading anyway.**

**JA.**


	5. Unacceptable

**Ello all you beautiful people who've been patient with another up and coming chapter. :D**

**I thank that short patience until it burst in flames…but other than that, enjoy another chapter of this lovely story.**

**DISCLAIMER: …..do I have to even say it….?**

Chapter 5: Unacceptable

Kagome waited patiently for her escort to take her home safely without the trouble of running into thugs again. As she waited, she couldn't help but pity herself, biting her right thumb nail in irritation. _There's a reason why I became a state alchemist, now why I can't stand up to my title _'Rosa der Geist'? _I didn't stay at Inutaisho's dojo for more than three years for nothing! _She pounded in the chair she was sitting in, her fist started to flare up in small pink aura. She felt her eyes wield up some bits of tears threatening to fall; she clenched her teeth to fight back weakness. _I made a vow to never back down, rather stand and protect the things that are dear to me. I won't go back on it now!_

_~.~_

"_Kagome! Aim for that point!" a target was set up several meters away from her standing point._

"_I'll give it a shot!" Kagome knocked her arrow into place on her bow, and anchored the string close to her mouth. Using the pinch draw, holding the end of the arrow, she released that arrow, and the arrow landed in the far left corner of the target._

"_Jesus, Kagome, you're a horrible shot."_

"_Give me a break, Inuyasha! Your dad only taught me this draw ten minutes ago!" Kagome huffed, and place another arrow on the nock, "I have a much better Mongolian draw!" Rather than her thumb stretched out holding onto the end of the arrow, she had her thumb stretched out holding onto the end of the arrow, she had her thumb underneath her second finger with the arrow being held back between her index finger and thumb. She braced, and released the arrow, smacking it dead center in the target. "how's that?" Kagome yelled._

"_Feh. You're a lucky shot."_

"_Thanks to your father, it's not luck that I can make a bull's eye every time." she smiled. _

_Inuyasha smirked in agreement, "he's the greatest out of all the eastern countries combined! You've only been here for a couple of years and already we've seen much improvement." they both sat down on the wooden hallway of the dojo facing the backyard's training area. Inuyasha asked in a curious voice with a hint of seriousness, "why did you come to my father's dojo again?"_

"_I didn't want to be weak anymore." _And it's better than feeling lonely without family, _she thought to herself._

_As with everyone whose been entangled by the war, her mom, her little brother Souta , and her old grandfather died in friendly fire among the military in preparation for an upcoming war she did not know of. Then again, her family didn't have a permanent residents once her father left. They've been traveling around the country since then, so they didn't know they were in the line of friendly fire. She didn't blame the military for the incident, she only regretted not knowing the area where they were launching their missiles; the deaths could have been prevented. She only stayed put once she was finally in high school. That's when she met Amara, and Inuyasha. Amara was her school friend, and Kagome would often have Amara over in her rented apartment. She found out that Inuyasha's father owned a dojo and decided to join. She had nothing else better to do, plus, she wanted to prevent incidents that happened with her family. _Anything will do, _she thought to herself when she first came in._

_The times Kagome would call 'sick' was when she would stay overnight at the dojo to improve anything necessary. Inutaisho and Inuyasha would help, with the rare occasion that Sesshomaru would help as well. The school and Amara believed her excuses, yet she felt guilty lying to Amara when she came in and helped her on assignments she needed to catch up on._

_But since school was finished, everybody graduating, including Kagome and Inuyasha with so many absences, still were let out of high school. She moved out of her apartment and stayed at the dojo permanently. She said goodbye to Amara. She didn't think she's be missed terribly though, she knew Amara had other friends; brothers she think they were, but she never met them._

"_Kagome?" Inuyasha waved his hand in front of her zoned out eyes. _

"_Yes?" she replied, her head prompt up higher once her focus was back._

"_Have you been reading the books my father gave you?"_

_She pointed her index finger up, "oh, you mean the alchemy books volumes 11 through 18? I've read volumes 11 to 15, I've only got three more, so I'll be fine."_

"_Then show me the progress then."_

"_Alrighty then." She grabbed two gloves from her pocket, and slipped them on her hands. The gloves didn't cover her fingers, she didn't like the feeling of her digits being constricted with cloth. On the palms of both gloves had insignia's of a simple triangle transmutation circle. The only difference was a carrot stick arrow was placed in the middle, overlapping that arrow was a stretched out 'U' shape._

_She clapped her hands together, a light shimmering inside her palms. She planted her hands on the ground, each hand separated for their own space to transmute the object she desired. She lifted herself from the ground; the material collected from the ground formed into her hands. A bow in her left and an arrow in her right._

_Inuyasha applauded. "Very nice. I remember you couldn't even draw the transmutation circle in the ground when you first started. Now you have you own transmutation circle made from starch, onto gloves; no need to draw it now."_

_Inuyasha stood up from his seat and leaned on the wooden pole next to him. "All you have to do now is read volumes 16 through 18 to learn how to transmute with no need of material. You're special, you have an aura about you that let's you use your ki to form into solid objects. We have yet to teach you how to form it, but we'll start that pretty soon."_

"_You got it boss." she flicked her thumb in the air, the objects in her hands crumbling to the earth's dirt at her feet. Then they heard an eerie nose that sounded like a high pitch animal yelling through the air._

BANG.

_The dojo was blasted in the left corner of the backyard training area. Smoke ascended towards the sky, and left the flames to manifest on fine wood slowly eating it away._

"_What, what was that?" Kagome feared, the explosion was close to Inutaisho's sleeping quarters. _

_Inuyasha yelled, "it looks like the civil war reached its boundaries as far as east here. Dammit!" Inuyasha whipped out a thin sword with an insignia on the hilt, a small transmutation circle, written in kanji 'iron crushing fang'. He placed his hand on top of the circle, and wrote out the kanji of his sword: "Sword of death: Tessaiga!" the kanji written in the air appeared with yellow electricity, and he passed the small blade through the words The kanji touched the sword and transformed the blade into a larger size sword with fur at the hilt, the electricity ran up his right arm reaching his boy entirely, the static bleached his raven black hair to a sleek silver long hair, as well changing his eye color, navy blue to golden amber._

"_Inuyasha." _

_Inuyasha turned around and saw Sesshomaru, holding his weapon, Tokijin. His features were the same as Inuyasha's, flowing silver white hair with piercing amber eyes._

"_let's go." he stated._

"_Alright." Sesshomaru fled towards the crackling flames eating away at the wooden foundation of the dojo._

"_Wait! I don't understand, what's going on?" Kagome panicked, grabbing Inuyasha before, he too, ran after Sesshomaru._

_He placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "We knew somehow, we'd eventually get caught in the civil war's line of fire, it was only a matter of time it would reach this far west of us. That time has come, so I leave this with you." he reached into his shirt and took a rolled up paper and place it in Kagome's hands, "you'll have to learn on your own that weaponless transmutation, Kagome."_

"_What are you talking about?" she yelled, tears wield up in her eyes, "you don't mean you're planning on dying, are you?" she accused, tears flowing down her cheeks, "then I'll help you! I know I can! Please Inuyasha! I'm not losing family again!" _

_Another explosion bombarded the dojo again. They didn't have much time._

_Inuyasha hugged her, "you won't join me, you have to leave this place so they won't find you. Please do this for me Kagome." she mumbled an 'ok' before he faced her kissed her on the lips, _"I love you, Kagome." _he turned his back on her, and ran in the same direction his older brother ran towards. As he disappeared, another bomb exploded close where Kagome left standing from Inuyasha's quick, yet passionate kiss._

_Kagome's eyes wield up as she sprinted a different direction than the brother's, exiting the dojo, and running for cover, as she promised Inuyasha._

'Inuyasha, you idiot…please stay alive.'

~.~

_Night consumed day, placing a full moon in the sky. Kagome decided to head towards the dojo. She trudged up the hill, and reached the top._

_She couldn't see the dojo._

'What? It's normally here.' _she looked closer and found the foundation, and nothing else._

_The dojo cease to exist, it was burnt down to the ground, only ashes left reminders that a building was once there._

'No.'

_She sprinted towards the ashes, and skidded to a halt when the ashes lifted from her feet kicking them up._

Where are you guys? _"Inutaisho? Sesshomaru?…Inuyasha?" she whispered, her frame trembling. She searched through the soot, and turned over planks of wood until she saw long silver hair in a heap. She slowly stood over the bodies and saw bullet holes and blood trailing from the shots in all three bodies. Inutaisho. Sesshomaru._

_And her love, Inuyasha. She fell to her knees, a black cloud puffed up, soot stained her clothes. "why did you have to die Inuyasha? Idiot! Why couldn't I help you, why did you…why did you, kiss me?" you should have never kissed me knowing you were gonna die! I…!"_

I love you too._ Kagome's cries caused Ishbalans soldiers nearby to hear her, and went to investigate. "Who goes there!" one yelled, and shed light on Kagome's figure sitting near the brother's and Inutaisho._

_The soldiers grinned. "What are you doing here, little lady? Those people are dead and gone forever. Why don't you come with us?" the other soldiers grinned as well. Kagome stood up. "that's right, now just come with us." his undertone meant something sinister that would make any woman tremble._

_But Kagome wasn't an ordinary woman. She lifted both her hands, glowing a dark pink aura, she still had her gloves on. She felt rage, nothing more, she didn't indicate what the soldier really meant, but she knew, these were the soldiers that killed her family._

_The pink aura grew, forming like flames in her hands. "you'll regret bringing the war beyond these peaceful boundaries." The pink flames formed into weapons, and Kagome drew a string of pink aura. I'll make you sure you stay back." She released the string she held and a pink arrow shot towards the mass of soldiers. The arrow landed in the middle of the group._

_Kagome clenched her right fist. _"Purify!" _The arrow then glowed white and blinded the whole area. The screams of the Ishbalan soldiers dissipated along with the glow from the white arrow._

'Their soul were tainted so much their souls couldn't be saved.' _before the energy from her hands lulled itself to nothingness, she placed both her hands around the three bodies and purified their souls, watching as the souls slowly escaped their physical form._

"Kagome." _All three stood before her, a few last words from her second family._

"Inuyasha."_ Tears formed in her eyes and she couldn't help but let them escape from her eyes._

_His soul reached close to brush off her tears, _"This was our fault for not preparing, that's why I didn't want you to be part of it."

_Inutaisho agreed. _"As long as you're alive, they won't know how to transform ki into a weapon. The paper Inuyasha gave you is my last lesson I give you, child. You've succeed doing it now, learn how to control it and it only progresses. You're one part of the country's peace, you'll need to find the other person. Ishbal is out raged with the civil war, it must be stopped. You're something that the country needs: a pure heart and soul."

_Sesshomaru ruffled her hair which seem to make her smile a bit under her tears, _"I'll be missing you, my little sister."

"Remember," _Inuyasha said, _"we'll always be beside you, and here," _he pointed towards her chest, indicating her heart. _"I love you Kagome."

_Kagome held a lump in her throat, holding back more tears, _"I love you too."

_Inuyasha placed a soft kiss upon Kagome's lips as they ascended up into the sky, disappearing._

_Kagome held a prayer before burning the last remaining memories of the dojo, and the bodies of her second family._

'_I vow to hold my promise. I will learn and master this ki transformation, and end this war.'_

_~.~_

_That was three years ago. _Kagome pressed her hand into her forehead. _Have I improved since then?_ she couldn't tell herself. She's tried multiple, countless times, yet she couldn't fully control the overwhelming power when it was released. _How was I able to do it that night then…_ She had a theory: because of the situation at hand, it was because her emotions got the better of her, yet she used it to her advantage and killed them through the weaponless transformation.

_But the other thing Inutaisho mentioned, the other person that is suppose to help me with this ki transformation…maybe I can find them here in town possibly._

"Maybe that's it." she thought out to herself.

"What's it?" Edward asked, noticing the concerning look etched in her face walking towards her.

Kagome didn't wipe the look on her face, she still kept her hand on her forehead, her ring finger and pinkie covering her nose. She smiled meekly. "It's nothing, Ed."

"You're lying is as bad as Amara's."

Kagome made a sour face, but inwardly smirked. She stood up and started walking out the door, "aren't you going to follow me?" she asked.

"You're escort hasn't come to get you?" Edward questioned back.

"Apparently they ditched me, so now you're taking me home."

"Alright then, I'm not going to argue." _Nor complain for that matter, who knows what will happen. _

They walked out of the building together, neither speaking to one another. Yet there was no tension. Kagome was still contemplating her theory with the weaponless ki transmutation.

Edward on the other hand, was thinking of old memories, some going back to when he was in high school with his brother, Al, and Amara. It seem so mundane compared to their lives after they joined the military.

"_You'll have to meet her someday. She's a really kind person, I saw we her a chance." _

He remembered Amara saying that while they were at lunch, but he wasn't paying attention because he stuck his head in another book of his. He recalled moments of seeing Amara walking down the hallway with someone with hair that would fall to their back and flow with each step they took trying to keep up with Amara weaving through the hallway. "So you were the one that Amara meant." Edward stated out loud.

"Excuse me?" Kagome asked, confused at Edward's outburst.

Edward explained, "Amara would mention a girl she met, and suggested we'd have to meet her someday. We never did meet her after we graduated and all three of us left for the military."

"_Yeah, the people I hang around with are neighbors of mine, the Elric Brothers."_

Kagome gasped as soon as she realized whom Amara was talking about back then in high school, "You were the brothers!" she pointed toward Ed very dramatically, "ho mah gawd, how stupid am I not to put two and two together!" she lifted her hands in the air for exaggeration.

Edward laughed, "Glad to have finally met you, Kagome."

Kagome smiled inwardly, letting her hands drop to her side, and asked, "so where's your brother? I haven't met him yet."

Edward's face lost its smile and replaced it with a grim looking face. He lifted his right sleeve of his military jacket to show his arm. "I tried performing human transmutation, and it too was a failure like my mother's human transmutation." He also lifted his left pant leg to show his mechanical limb.

"Edward!" Kagome exasperated, stunned beyond belief, "why attempt another human transmutation when the first one didn't work?"

Edward laughed at himself mockingly, "I thought the second time around would be different considering I knew more about the truth from my first attempt bringing my mom back to life. We were thankful that we only lost one limb each for the transmutation; my left leg and my brother Alphonse's internal intestines, only a few he could live well without.

Second time however, I wasn't lucky. That time it took all my internal organs, except for my heart and lungs. Also my right arm. I thought I was dead. Amara told me later that since her alchemy she can break equivalent exchange , she retrieved all my organs, yet she couldn't get my right arm back. So I had surgery for mechanical limbs from a girl from school, Winry Rockbell. Her and her grandmother, Pinako, helped me with rehabilitation, and the military helped with the medical bills."

"So…we've both lost our families because of the war." Kagome concluded, sighing, feeling a lump in her throat, she quickly swallowed it. She didn't want to show her depressing state of mind to Edward. "I lost both of my families to the war. My mother, grandfather, and little brother were killed in friendly fire. When I settled afterward, it was the outskirts of Resembool, in my friend, Inuyasha's father's dojo. That's where I trained: to protect the things I love. The war also consumed Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, his brother, and the man in charge of the place, Inutaisho.

Edward reflected for a moment and thought out loud, "I remember him now, I would see him every now and then in the hallway, but he wasn't very social, same with his brother."

He notice Kagome was flushed in the face when he mentioned Inuyasha's name; her body had a nervous break down, along with her voice. Her hands got tense, curled up in fists.

"It pisses me off that both incidents happened without me not doing a thing about it. I could still have my families, better yet, it would be one big family had I done something altogether!" Kagome held a fist close to her face, clenching her fist tighter, bearing her teeth to hold back tears. "I trained hoping to help people, but in the end it was all for not." She yelled, she let her tears slip from her eyes lids, and punched the wall she beside her. Her knuckles puffed red, small scraps on her hand well. "After all that, it's still not enough."

Her puffed red knuckles showed a small gash where blood started flowing from, "ah…"

Edward grabbed her hand and removed the blood with his glove, "it's okay to be emotional, we all have our moments," he grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped Kagome's knuckles, "the only bad part is if you keep it to yourself, it'll only make it feel worse." Edward assured, placing his mechanical hand over her hand for a secure feeling.

"If that feeling invades your conscious again, you can talk to Amara…or you can talk to me about, that's what friends are for." he smiled.

Kagome looked at him with his smile. He meant what he said, she knew that; his eyes spoke the truth. _Those golden amber eyes… _"Yes, friends…" she replied.

_RING!_

Kagome jumped and was released out of Edward's grip as he fumbled to get his cell phone.

"Colonial Elric."

--- "Sorry Colonial. We ran into a couple of men on our way."

_Jean. _"Amara's alright, isn't she?"

--- "She's safe for the time being. We're at my place."

_Thank goodness. _"I'll drop off the Major, then I'll head for your place."

--- "Alright, sir, see you then."

Edward put his phone in its place in his back pocket.

Kagome had her wrapped hand on her chest still startled by the phone's ring, and thinking over her thoughts she had previous to the interruption. _They have the same eyes. _She blushed as how she of Edward…no she was thinking of Inuyasha, she knew it was bad to compare with a dead _almost _boyfriend. But was there feelings for Edward? She didn't know.

Edward placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, she was surprised at the touch and jerked a bit. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's…it's okay," she replied, a blush creeping on her face again.

"That was Second lieutenant Havoc on the phone, Amara's resting at his place, so---what?" Kagome made a face of shock.

"No wait," Edward exclaimed, realizing what she meant by her reaction, "the Lieutenant and Amara were caught in a fight with a couple of men." Edward explained the rest of the story while walking towards Kagome's apartment. Edward held onto Kagome's wrapped hand, making sure she didn't make the damage worse on her swollen hand.

"You don't have to hold onto my hand, I'm not a kid you know." Kagome mumbled, a little flustered that Edward has held her hand since her inflicted injury.

"I'm making sure you don't do anything stupid again." He replied.

"You arrogant--!" She threw her hand to loosen Edward's grip, unfortunately, he kept a firm hold on her hand.

"…And maybe because I want to." Edward hesitated to say, a small blush crept on his face. He averted his eyes, not looking directly at hers.

Kagome looked at his eyes though, but he wouldn't dare look up at her. She made a sincere smile on her lips and Edward didn't see it. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, "Fine then." she said in mockingly angry tone so he wouldn't know she enjoyed his company and his sudden bold gesture.

Edward led her to the front door of her apartment building still holding to Kagome's hand. He lifted her wrapped hand towards his face, and placed a soft kiss, she felt his lips through the material that kept pressure on her knuckles. "Goodnight." he said. He let go of her hand and brisk fully walked away from the entrance.

Kagome stood there a little dumbfounded, and grabbed her hand and held it to her chest.A blush slowly creped on her face when she touched the spot that still held the warmth of Edward's lips. _It's the lure of those golden eyes…but_. It's those golden eyes that make her think of Inuyasha. Kagome shook her head to clear her head, and her heart. _Inuyasha is dead. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, I have to move forward. It's what you would have wanted right, Inuyasha?_

She stepped into her apartment building, leaving her question unanswered for her former lover.

**WELL….there you go. This was the first chapter on my new laptop I got as my graduation present. ^^**

**Holy crap I'm a grad…and now I'm a dog gone fish again…in college! D:**

**Ho gawd**

**So here's Kagome's past. I tried to make it as detailed as possible so we wouldn't have to go back and forth on the past and present stuff…then again, I could make that happen…but I'm trying to avoid that altogether.**

**Yes I had Inuyasha as a human, I love his human form! X3 **

**SO kame-the-turtle! XD**

**That's how Inuyasha is involved in the story, and will be mentioned a little bit because of the connections I made.**

**With summer just starting, hopefully I can wrap up this whole story in less than 10 chapters….yes, that would a goal at this point. **

**In the mean time, re-read, review, do whatever to keep you occupied until the new chapter comes out. :P**

**~Seo-Chan **


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